Lose weight by keeping a diet journal

Eating without noticing can really cause the calories to mount up and the pounds to pile on, but becoming aware of what we eat by recording it in a food diary can make a huge difference to weight loss success.

A diet journal can make all the difference by bringing these extra calories to your attention. Studies have shown time and again that by simply recording what you eat your calorie intake will be reduced.

Facing the laborious task of recording, weighing and measuring every time something is consumed puts many people off the idea of keeping a food diary. But really it is only necessary to keep records for a short space of time before you see how effective keeping a food diary can be.

What to include in your journal

Its really up to you what you want to put in your journal, but the more information you put in the more helpful it will be to your weight loss.

1. Record your weight loss goal. Get really clear on what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it. List all the benefits of of losing weight and choose an achievable time-frame.

2. Record where you are now in terms of weight, measurements etc. and update this every month. It is also helpful to keep a photographic reference of your weight loss so you can really see progress.

3. Write down everything you eat and drink, even tasters while cooking, or a bite of the kids’ sandwich – it all adds up these are the extra calories that went unnoticed before. It does still count even if it is not on a plate, even if the cookies are broken.

4. You can also record the time you eat, and snack that way you get an accurate picture of your eating habits. Notice if there is a pattern emerging, do you eat particular foods at certain times of the day?

5. It is also helpful to write down how you are feeling when you ate and drank both physically and emotionally. For example did you feel bored, tired, frustrated or lonely or were just really hungry? This will help you become aware of why you find yourself eating impulsively.

6. Instead of repeating the all or nothing strategy that many dieters find themselves employing time and again (and never succeeding), you could break your plan down into easily achievable steps. For example rather than giving yourself a calorie limit of say 1500 cals per day you could break it down into 400 for the morning, 500 for the afternoon and then 600 for the evening. And take it one day at a time adjusting along the way.

So now you have an accurate assessment of what you are consuming, how you feel when you consume those foods, where you are and what you were doing. You have a precise roadmap of what you want to achieve and how you are going to get there, and you have a motivating visual record of your journey.

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